On this day, Fifteen years later: A moment of reflection

I was 26

I was waiting out the "summer" for CSULA to begin and I was keeping myself busy hitting the gym at 2am and crashing at 3 am. Couldn't sleep so I stayed up long enough to get Howard on the east coast feed. It would rewind at 6 am to replay the entire show again, but I loved hearing it live.

So right at the point, it was supposed to "rewind" it happened. I listened in shock and realized that this was a shitty bit. After some time I turned on TV and realized that the first building was hit. I got on the internet and tried to understand what was going on.

Second plane hit. Still listening to Howard. Still watching. Everyone was horrified.

No footage of New Jersey  Muslims cheering. Everyone was in shock. We believed in our president despite of what insane election results stated. We wanted retribution. We were angry. The nation invaded Afganistan.

Then we heard how monstrous Sadam was. How he poisoned his people. How he funded terrorism despite of religious divisions. How he amassed weapons of mass destruction and "yellow cake". How he had tubes that could bomb Isreal. And how he was the pure essence of evil. On every channel. By our President, Secretary of State Powell, Vice President, the entire cabinet. Present presidential candidates were for war. It was the first time I have ever heard from the little Jewish socialist. We would not know what horror was done under the guise of patriotism until 2004. We didn't have an exit plan. It wasn't a Clinton Era humanitarian mission where the US came in to put the work in, and left the rest to the UN. America stayed. American business benefited.

We lost the lives of multiple soldiers and support. Many lives were affected that never set foot on the battlefield. Gays were trying to marry and that was a clincher for the election. Budgets swelled for military and then police. Education suffered and scapegoats were chosen. Patriots wave flags, chase out Dixie Chicks, put yellow ribbons on everything and speak of harsh punishment for sedition speak. Later we would discover the perfect storm of the remnants of the Nixion administration finally given free reign. Torture was fine. They hate us for our freedom. And they tried to kill Georgie's daddy. A new definition of "terrorist' is given as despots run with it and attack under genocidal means to protect the homeland.

We become the bane of the world. Then the laughing stock. Lewis's warning become more then premonition as  "...fascism comes to America, ...wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross."

So I always rethink on this day. We lost our fear of Big Brother only to confess to little snitch. We were swayed by our government by this day and moment to commit atrocities under the guise of the greater good. For a moment the majority of us lock-stepped and got into ranks. Even Carlin pulled back before he realized they were up to the same shit.

So I don't get sentimental. I look at the whole picture and realized that when in times of pain and hurt there will moments when the wrong people will work and try to use you against humanity. They will remind you when you come to your senses that they were doing it for you and your hands are also bloody.

So...yea......this day was the turning point.